Silent Consequences
by Julieshadow
Summary: Sam thinks things are settling down with Dean after their run in with Gordon Walker and decides to talk to his brother about their father's death, but when Dean's refusal to talk about it leads to a fight will Dean regret his actions. GEN
1. Chapter 1

Dean pulled the impala in front of room four of the motel they were currently staying at in the town of Red lodge.

Sam was feeling somewhat better emotionally after what Dean had admitted to him back at the vampires nest but the physical repercussions of the hunt were still taking their toll on him.

Elliah had been pissed at his friends, Conrad's, death and unfortunately for Sam he had taken Lenore's order of 'not a mark on him' as 'no visible marks'. The hunter winced as he replayed Elliah striking his lower back with a broken off tree limb.

The vampire had bundled him into the car but as soon as they had been out of sight of the farmhouse he had stopped the car, pulling Sam from it and struck him several times around his back and torso with a branch he had conveniently found.

Sam had understood the vampire's anger; they had just killed one of his, family, a vampire that was actually innocent and hadn't done anything wrong but that small understanding didn't stop the pain that was radiating through his body at the moment.

He kept his movements slow to try and keep Dean from seeing that he was in pain for the time being at least. Although the fact that Dean had not yet noticed that his sibling was hurt was a testament in itself to how much Dean still wasn't himself and how the death of their father was affecting him.

Now that Dean had opened the door for Sam to talk about their dad, Sam wanted to get him to open up about the man's death also.

"Hey man, how about we spend another day here and look for a hunt? We can take off in the morning after a night's sleep?" Sam suggested hoping that his older brother didn't read too much into it.

"Not a bad idea Sammy. A shower and a few cold ones would hit the spot right about now. I'll head down and pay for another night." Dean replied easily and then exited the car.

Waiting until his brother had entered the motel's office, Sam gingerly got out of the car. He couldn't stop the pained gasp that escaped him as he did so. Moving as quickly as his body would allow him he opened the motel room door and went straight to the small bathroom.

Sam was thankful that he had brought in the first aid kit when they had first arrived at the motel. Opening the kit he pulled out the small bottle containing the Tylenol taking out two of the pills and swallowing them dry.

The hunter had just replaced the bag under the sink when he heard the motel room door open and he's brother shuffled in.

Sam was hoping to avoid Dean for a while longer or at least until the painkillers had gotten a chance to work but he needed to let Dean have the first shower as he was sure his brother was still feeling the effects of his run in with Gordon.

Exiting the bathroom as steadily as he could manage he headed straight for his own duffle which was thankfully on his bed and not the floor.

"I'm going to grab a shower then I'll go grab us something to eat while you shower." Dean stated as he pulled some fresh boxers, a t-shirt and a pair of jeans from his own duffle.

"Sure, sounds good." Sam replied trying to keep his voice light.

By the time Dean had closed the bathroom door, Sam could feel beads of sweat run down his forehead with the exertion of staying upright. He gratefully sat down on the edge of the bed and tried to keep the whimper that escaped him as quiet as possible.

Taking deep breaths and trying to relax himself he found that the pain was beginning to recede a little. He stayed seated for as long as he dared knowing that Dean wouldn't delay in the shower.

When he heard the shower shut off he let out a deep breath then cautiously got back to his feet and began routing in his duffle for some clean clothes of his own.

It only took a few minutes for the door of the door to open and Dean appeared with a cloud of steam following him.

"All yours now, Sammy." The older brother declared as he headed to the duffle with his dirty laundry.

"Thanks, um Dean… I was hoping when you get back maybe we could have a talk…you know about dad?" Sam ventured cautiously.

"Sam."

Sam immediately recognised the warning tone and he let out a frustrated sigh.

"Dean, we need to talk. I need to talk." Sam said softly.

"Dammit, Sam! There is nothing to talk about. Dad's dead and all the talking in the world ain't going to change that. Now just leave it." Dean yelled aggravated.

"No Dean. We both lost him and it hurts… I'm hurting and I know you are too. I just-" Sam began wincing as Dean turned suddenly causing the younger brother to jerk back.

"Christ Sam, it's not always about what you want. I'm hurting, of course I am but I don't want to talk about it. I want to hunt the evil sons of bitches, that caused this and that's how I want to deal with it." Dean told him firmly.

"And get yourself killed in the process? Because the way you're acting you don't seem to care if you or anyone else gets hurt or worse!" Sam yelled.

"Shut it Sam, I'm not doing this with you. You want to talk about your feelings then go get a damn shrink! Me? I'm going to go kill every evil thing I can find. That's how I'm going to grieve. Now, I'm going to go find the nearest bar and have a few beers and I don't want this brought up again." Dean said leaving no room for arguments.

Sam stayed quiet trying to keep the tears that were brimming at his eyes from falling. He was in pain both physically and emotionally. He wanted to tell his brother exactly how much pain he was in due to his dad's death but he knew that Dean was not going to listen to him. Just then the pain in his back pierced through him like he had been stabbed.

He let out a gasp and decided it was time to tell his sibling about his injury.

"Dean, I'm hurt. I-" Sam tried.

"Sam stop! Will you for one damn minute stop thinking about yourself! I'm going for a drink. If you decide to stop being selfish and grow your man parts back then come find me!" Dean shouted before grabbing his jacket and exited the motel room, banging the door shut behind him.

"Dean, wait please." Sam pleaded but Dean either didn't hear or choose to ignore him.

Sam let tears flow down his cheeks as he collapsed to his knees in pain. He looked across to the table to see his cell sitting on it. The young hunter had been injured his fair share throughout the years but he knew that what he was feeling now was definitely more serious than just bruising.

Holding on the side of the bed he tried with shaky arms to push himself to his feet. Sweat was running down his body and he almost had his lip bitten through from trying to stave off the pain. Once he managed to get upright he began staggering towards the small table and his cell.

He just fell short of the table when his knees buckled and he fell back to floor hitting his head on the tables edge with a sickening crack.

tbc


	2. Chapter 2

Dean let the door slam shut behind him ignoring his little brother's pleading.

He couldn't take it anymore. His dad's death was still fresh on his mind and he didn't need Sam going over and over it all the time.

Sighing heavily Dean made his way to the bar that was two blocks from the motel. It was still early in the day but dammit Dean needed a drink.

He jerked open the door to the bar to reveal the normal small town setting inside. There were only three other men seated at the bar and a middle aged woman who was serving them.

Dean took a seat at the end nearest the door and pulled out a twenty dollar bill from his wallet.

"I'll be with you in a minute hon, just got to change a barrel." The woman stated as she went out the back.

Nodding his understanding Dean waited for the woman to return. His thoughts began to drift back to the argument with Sam.

He knew his younger brother was a touchy feely type and he needed to talk things out. That was not what Dean wanted or needed but he should have at least tried to give some sort of comfort to his sibling. Guilt began to set in as he remembered that pained expression on Sam's face as they fought.

Come to think of it Sam wasn't moving too well either and the pain on his face seemed to be more than just hurt feelings. Dean tried thought back to the previous day's events. His brother had been kidnapped by vampires, had Gordon cut him with a knife and then had to deal with getting Lenore and the rest of her nest out of Dodge. Not to mention the right hook that Dean had landed on Sam's face.

Worry began to set in as Dean thought more about the ride back from the farmhouse. Sam was stiff and mostly quiet on the ride back. He had given Dean first shower without any arguments and had asked to stay in the town another day. Sam never wanted to stay still after a hunt. Although it was more likely that his little brother wanted time to talk about their father's death than simply staying for another hunt.

The worry now completely focus at himself as he relived the fight. Sam had told him he was hurting. A moment flashed in front of him at one of the last things Sam said before Dean had began yelling and cutting him off. 'I'm Hurt' Sam had said 'I'm hurt' not that he was hurting but that he was hurt. The worry turned into guilt as he realised what he had missed.

"Dammit!" Dean swore as he jumped up from his seat and out of the bar heading back to the motel room as fast as his legs would carry him.

He had the motel room key out of his pocket before he got to the door. The young hunter starting swearing as his nerves got the best of him and he had trouble opening the door.

When the door eventually opened terror took over his self anger and guilt as he saw Sam unconscious on the floor.

"Sam!" Dean yelled as he ran towards his brother landing heavily on his knees beside him.

Dean did an inventory of Sam's body trying to find the cause for his brother's current state. As soon as Dean reached for Sam's head he found the golf ball sized lump where Sam must have hit his head on the nearby table.

This indicated that Sam had collapsed due to some other injury and with Sam's luck had caught the side of the table on the way down.

"Sam?" Dean tried as he gently shook the injured man in front of him.

He was rewarded with a small groan from Sam.

"Hey Sammy, you with me?" Dean asked as he pulled Sam's head up onto his lap.

"Ahh, what…what happened?" Sam inquired groggily.

"You tell me dude. I came back to find you unconscious on the floor. You have a pretty impressive bump on your head but that doesn't explain why you face planted." Dean tried lightly to ease the tension.

"My…my back…Eliah… ahh God, it hurts Dean." Sam told him and the pain in the younger man's voice was unmissable.

"Okay. Let's get you on the bed so I can see and you can tell me what happened." Dean told him making sure Sam knew it wasn't a request.

Sam whimpered and moaned as Dean got him lying down on his stomach on the bed.

Dean gingerly pulled up his brother's shirt and couldn't hold in the gasp as he revealed the deep and angry purple, blue and black bruises. The surrounding area was a throbbing red.

"That bad huh?" Sam ventured but his breathing was harsh trying to deal with the pain.

"Sam you told me there wasn't a mark on you when the vamps brought you back. There are definitely marks!" Dean said unbelieving that his brother kept this from him.

"Yeah, well, I didn't think the whole 'they're not like other vampires we should let them go' thing would have worked if I added that Elliah decided to beat the crap out of me with a damn tree branch, you know." Sam stated lightly.

"Elliah needs his damn head removed from his body!" Dean seethed.

"Gordon already took care of that." Sam informed him as another pained gasp escaped him.

Sam cried out when Dean put pressure on the bruising on his back and Dean winced in sympathy.

"It looks like a trip to the hospital Sammy, I think there is more going on here than I can see." Dean stated.

"Yeah, this feels worse than just a bruise, I was going to tell you-" Sam stopped himself.

"You tried to tell me and I was being an ass and yelled at you instead. I'm sorry Sam, I should have picked up on the fact that you were hurt a lot sooner." Dean replied guiltily.

"Not your fault. I should have told you sooner."

"Okay, how about we get you to the hospital and we can discuss this later." Dean told him grabbing his keys and then helping Sam up.

"God, it feels like a knife is repeatedly stabbing into me." Sam gasped out trying to get up from the bed with his brother's help.

Sam got wobbling legs underneath himself as Dean carried most of his weight. They only made it as far as the door when Sam whimpered and his legs gave out completely causing both men to fall to the floor.

Dean's worry went through the roof as his sibling went limp in his arms.

"Shit, Sammy, come on." Dean shook Sam.

"Okay, hold on Sammy." Dean said digging in his pocket for his cell.

As soon as he retrieved it he quickly dialled '911'.

"I need an ambulance. My brother he has collapsed, he's unconscious. Room four at Red Lodge Motel."

tbc


	3. Chapter 3

Title: Silent Consequences (2/3)

Author: Julieshadow

Genre: hurt/comfort, Gen.

Rating: NC-17

Spoilers: Takes place after 2.03 Bloodlust

Summary: Sam thinks things are settling down with Dean after their run in with Gordon Walker and decides to talk to his brother about their father's death, but when Dean's refusal to talk about it leads to a fight will Dean regret his actions.

Part Three

Dean sat anxiously in the ER waiting room after Sam had been taken in to be examined. He sat with his head in his hands as thought about how stupid and inconsiderate he had been.

Sitting up and scrubbing a hand down his face he could only imagine what his dad would say to him if he was here. Sam was his number one responsibility, his priority and the hunter had seriously dropped the ball on this one.

Guilt rocked through Dean as he thought back to the hunt. Sam had been kidnapped by vampires. Why the hell hadn't he checked his younger sibling for injuries? Tears began to well in his eyes as he realised he hadn't even asked his brother if he was alright after the ordeal. Inside he punched himself in the face.

No longer able to sit still, the worried hunter started pacing the small waiting area. Anger at himself began to build as he relived the fight he had with Sam in the motel.

He was brought from his thoughts as a middle aged Doctor appeared through the doors calling for the family of Sam Smith.

"I'm his brother Dean." Dean told him as he came to a stop in front of the physician.

"I'm Dr O' Riordan. I've been treating your brother." The Doctor informed him offering his hand to Dean.

"Is he going to be okay?" Dean inquired as he took the offered hand.

"Sam is suffering from chronic compartment syndrome. It is a condition that arises after an injury when there is not a sufficient blood supply to the muscles and nerves because of the raised pressure within the compartment. This is relatively easy to fix with a minimally invasive procedure known as subcutaneous fasciotomy." Dr O' Riordan explained.

"So after the procedure he will be alright? There won't be any lasting effects?" Dean asked nervously.

"He will need a couple of weeks to recover fully but there shouldn't be any long term problems." The Doctor reassured with a small smile.

"Can I see him?"

"He has just been taken up for the procedure but it shouldn't be any longer than an hour. I will have a nurse come to you to him once he is settled into a room."

"Thank you Doctor." Dean said gratefully shaking the man's hand.

Dr O' Riordan returned the handshake and took his leave. Dean left out a long relieved sigh and retook a seat in the waiting room.

The first thing that registered was a dull ache followed by his tongue being stuck to the roof of his mouth.

A small whimper escaped his lips as he slowly blinked his eyes open trying to adjust to the light.

"Hey, take it easy man. Take some of this."

Sam felt a straw being pushed between his lips and he eagerly sucked up the cool welcome water relishing the liquid entering his mouth. All too soon the straw was removed.

"How are you feeling Sammy?"

"D'n?"

"Yeah, bro. You all right?" and Sam could hear the anxiety rise in his older brother's voice.

He left out a cough to clear his throat and opened his eyes fully to meet worried green ones staring back at him.

"I'm okay. Surgery?" Sam inquired feeling a little fuzzy.

"A minor one. Something about compartment syndrome but it's all sorted now." Dean offered reassuringly.

Sam nodded as memories of the ER doctor explaining it to him started to come back. Suddenly Sam could feel his stomach flip. Dean had to bring him to hospital and it wasn't all that long ago that his brother had lost their dad in the hospital. Shit.

"Dean, I'm so sorry. I didn't realise I was hurt as bad as this. I should have said something sooner. I just-"

"Wow, Sam stop. This isn't your fault. I should have known something was up earlier. Christ you were kidnapped by vampires and I didn't even check you out." Dean stated and Sam could hear the guilt in his sibling's voice.

"Dean, I kept pushing you and-" Sam tried.

"Sam we both made mistakes but I'm by far the most at fault here and I'm sorry. I don't want to have to talk about dad but I know you do. I shouldn't have shot you down and ignored you. I'm not ready to talk about what has happened with dad but I can listen to you. Okay?" Dean stated.

"Yeah, okay. And I'm sorry for trying to push you into talking." Sam offered.

Dean smiled at that and felt some of the tension between them go away.

"Now, about the whole hunt. I should have made sure you were alright and I do take the blame for that but Sammy you know better than to hide an injury. And so help me God if you do it again I will kick your ass! Got it?" Dean said firmly.

"Got it." Sam replied grateful and relieved that Dean was still very much his protective big brother.

"Great! Now, you need to get some rest and there are some seriously hot nurses on this floor just so you know." Dean stated with a wiggle of his eyebrows.

"Go Dean, I actually could do with getting some sleep." Sam said with a knowing smile.

"Awesome. I'll be back to check on you in a while Sammy." Dean replied tapping Sam on the knee on his way out of the room.

Sam had a genuine smile on his face as the door closed behind his big brother. He knew they could get past their dad's death and that they would be okay. He let his eyes drift close content in the knowledge he had his big brother back.

The End.


End file.
